The present invention relates to golf putters and more particularly to a golf club putter having a combination of performance enhancing features.
Prior art putters are well known which incorporate various features to enhance the performance of the golf club. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,401 to Haney shows a putter type golf club with a raised mass which is concentrated about a horizontal plane through the center of the ball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,538 to Broadbridge shows a heel/toe weighted golf putter having a rearward extending flange on top of the putter head to raise the center of gravity of the putter head to a point opposite where the golf ball is impacted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,405 to Clawges shows a golf putter having a bounce angle on the sole to prevent scuffing of the leading edge during the execution of a putting stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,791 to Passeri shows a golf putter having an arcuate aperture, the size of a golf ball, directly behind the ball striking face for alignment purposes. U.S. Design Pat. No. 356,613 to Adams et al. shows a heel/toe weighted putter having an arcuate rear cavity centrally located behind the ball striking face.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,398 to Hunter shows another golf putter with a semi-circular recess behind the ball striking face, both for alignment purposes and for retrieving golf balls.
The present invention is directed to a putter type golf club head with a variety of features representing an improvement over the known prior art. The golf club head of the present invention includes a club head body and a hosel with a shaft socket for connection to a conventional golf shaft and handle. The club head includes a ball striking face, a heel, toe, upper surface, bottom sole and rear. The rear portion of the club head is defined by an arcuate slot extending in a heel to toe, longitudinal direction, formed between rearwardly extending, upper and lower flanges, the outer surfaces of which define the upper surface and bottom sole of the club head. The upper flange is thicker and has more mass than the lower flange, whereby a preponderance of weight of the club head body is located in the upper flange. The upper flange of the putter head is formed with a semi-circular opening having a diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter a golf ball. The semi-circular opening separates the upper flange into a heel portion and a toe portion. The semi-circular opening and arcuate, longitudinal slot at the rear portion of the club head cooperate to raise the overall weight of the club head upwardly and toward the heel and toe portions of the club head, providing the putter head with an upper, heel/toe weighting configuration. Because the overall weight of the club head is located in the upper flange, the center of mass of the club head is in alignment with the center of a golf ball when both the putter head and the golf ball are on the same supporting surface, thereby providing a more efficient transfer of force to the golf ball during the execution of a putting stroke.
The inner surface of the lower flange includes a small, semi-circular recess which is positioned midway between edges of the upper semi-circular opening when viewed from above by a golfer with the putter in a normal address position. This semi-circular recess, in combination with the semi-circular opening, simulates a bull""s eye, concentric circle type target alignment device. When viewed from above, and with the putter head in the proper position just before the execution of a putting stroke, the target alignment device facilitates aiming of the putter head to an intended target.
The bottom sole of the putter head is provided with a 9xc2x0 bounce angle extending downwardly and rearwardly from the leading edge of the club head. The bounce angle prevents scuffing of the leading edge during forward movement of the putter head when executing a putting stroke.
The semi-circular recess on the lower flange and semi-circular cutout on the upper portion of the putter head also cooperate to facilitate using the club head to pick up a golf ball from the green or from the grass. Sliding the rear of the putter head under a golf ball so the ball rests in the recess and snugly fits within the upper semi-circular opening on the upper flange, allows the ball to be easily picked up by the golfer by maintaining a slight upward angle on the putter head as the ball is lifted.
In another embodiment of the club head, a ledge is provided at the heel portion of the upper flange at the point where the hosel is connected to the club head body. This removes weight from the heel portion in order to offset the weight of the hosel, thus keeping the overall heel-toe balance of the club head.
Another feature of the golf club head of the present invention is the overall balance of the club head which causes toe rollover to close the face of the club head when the club is placed upon a support surface. This rollover feature forces a golfer to place the putter on a proper aim line and requires the golfer to maintain it there rather than allowing the putter to sole itself.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a golf putter having a heel/toe weighting configuration with a preponderance of mass located at the upper portion of the club head directly behind the center of a golf ball.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a putter type golf club head having a target configuration directly behind the ball striking face to aid a golfer to strike the ball in the center of the club head.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a putter type golf club head which enables the golfer to pick up the ball from the green or grass.
Still another object of the present invention is a putter type golf club head having a positive bounce angle extending rearwardly from the leading edge to prevent scuffing of the leading edge of the putter on the forward stroke.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred, but non-limiting, embodiment of the subject invention.